Heliophysics 2050 White Papers (2021) 4074.pdf

What is Heliophysics? Our Field’s Ongoing Existential Crisis Ian Cohen, Matina Gkioulidou, Drew Turner, Romina Nikoukar, Joe Westlake (JHU/APL); Aleida Higginson (NASA/GSFC); Ryan McGranaghan (ASTRA); Gordon Emslie (WKU); Dan Baker (LASP); and Harlan Spence (UNH) What is Heliophysics? of charged particles within the radiation NASA’s Heliophysics Division’s website belts...Both planetary and magnetospheric says that, “The Science Mission Directorate understanding is thus enriched by the [SMD] Heliophysics Division studies the nature comparative study of magnetospheres.”[1] of the Sun, and how it influences the very nature This prompted the SWMI Imperative that of space — and, in turn, the atmospheres of NASA’s Heliophysics Division and Planetary planets and the technology that exists there.” Divisions partner to “ensure that appropriate However, in current practice, the Divisions magnetospheric instrumentation is fielded on within SMD, the study of planetary missions to other planets.” [1] Planetary Science magnetospheres and atmospheres within has also highlighted the importance of Heliophysics is generally confined to only those comparative planetology: “Comparative of Earth, with space plasma physics at other planetary studies offer great potential to worlds in the solar system falling under the improve our understanding of planetary systems jurisdiction of Planetary Science and space in general…Understanding the interactions of plasma physics outside the solar system under the solar wind at all of the planets aids in the jurisdiction of Astrophysics. This stove- understanding the physical processes at piping severely limits the broader impacts of the Earth.”[2] Despite this recognition, space plasma Heliophysics community and is detrimental to instrumentation is increasingly an afterthought the study of space plasma physics in general. on Planetary Science missions, if it is included Unfortunately, programmatic restrictions at all. generally limit the opportunities to study the Studying planetary systems with dedicated fundamental processes of greatest interest to Heliophysics missions, comprehensive members of the Heliophysics to relatively few instrumentation, and new grant opportunities targets, primarily Earth, the Sun, solar wind, for analysis and modeling would enable novel and local interstellar space. However, the understanding of fundamental and universal diverse worlds within the solar system provide processes of space plasma physics. Such an crucial environments that are not replicated at improved, more comprehensive understanding Earth, but can provide deep insight into the will also enable advancement in understanding fundamental physics that drive our local more remote astrophysical systems, including Heliophysics environment. Such shared interest exoplanets. in other planetary targets was emphasized in the Planetary Science has also highlighted the Report of the Panel on Solar Wind- importance of comparative planetology, Magnetosphere Interactions (SWMI) from the “Comparative planetary studies offer great 2013 Heliophysics Decadal Report: potential to improve our understanding of “The magnetospheres of other planets planetary systems in general…Understanding display not only certain close similarities, the interactions of the solar wind at all of the such as the formation of bow shocks and planets aids in understanding the physical radiation belts, but also many processes that processes at Earth.”[2] are markedly different, such as the source

[1] National Research Council; Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences, Space Studies Board, Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board, and Committee on a Decadal Strategy for Solar and Space Physics (Heliophysics) (2013), Solar and Space Physics: A Science for a Technological Society, National Academies Press, Washington, D. C. [2] National Research Council; Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences, Space Studies Board, Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board, and Committee on the Planetary Science Decadal Survey (2011), Vision and Voyages for Planetary Science in the Decade 2013-2022, National Academies Press, Washington, D. C.

Heliophysics 2050 White Papers (2021) 4074.pdf

While greater collaboration between the organization and codification of a federal NASA Divisions would undoubtedly increase strategy regarding space weather through the the scientific output of NASA Heliophysics, National Space Weather Action Plan and the there is yet another issue whereby Heliophysics PROSWIFT legislation. However, overreliance is increasingly pigeonholed into only being on space weather to define our field, as opposed important as it relates to “space weather” (i.e., to simply using it as a practical and relatable the societal and technological impacts at Earth). tool, narrows the scope of what solar and space When competing against the easily-digestible physics is and diminishes its fundamental and exciting themes of other disciplines, e.g., importance. We must realize and delicately Planetary Science (“The search for life”), Earth balance the temptation to use space weather to Science (“Understanding our home”), and define our science with the increasing societal Astrophysics (“Exploring the origin of the relevance of space weather effects. Especially universe”) – Heliophysics has historically in light of humanity’s ambition to expand into struggled. Often, selling Heliophysics to the solar system (i.e., desires to establish a policymakers and the public is a challenge. crewed lunar station, colonize Mars, and mine Planetary missions can be seen as “boldly the asteroid belt), it will become increasingly going” and astrophysical missions “unveil the critical to understand and consider space mysteries of the universe,” yet Heliophysics weather effects at other planetary systems as missions often lack the inspirational exploration well, throughout the solar system, and such tagline. This is despite the fact that stellar and science clearly falls under the jurisdiction of space plasmas and their processes represent Heliophysics. some of the most genuinely universal and A New Heliophysics for 2050 fundamentally important physics in the cosmos. Moving forward, hopefully starting with the The Heliophysics community has been hard- next Decadal Survey and certainly by 2050, the pressed to distill our major fundamental solar and space physics community should questions into exciting and intuitive problems focus emphasis on the general and fundamental that capture the public eye. We have importance and excitement of its science with a understandably reverted to a very practical, new mindset: applied definition – i.e., space weather – to Heliophysics is a fundamental science justify our discipline as we advocate for our discipline that is interwoven with planetary science and appeal for funding. science, astrophysics, geoscience, and Space weather is a powerful practical example laboratory plasma physics. It is the study of and something that brings home the everyday the very nature of plasmas throughout relevance of our field when speaking to the space, originating with our own Sun and public or policymakers. Space weather has a heliosphere and extending to planetary major impact on policy both in the U.S. and atmospheres and magnetospheres, stellar worldwide. Many U.S. Congressional atmospheres and astrospheres, interstellar committees deal with issues for which space space, and more exotic magnetized plasma physics is relevant, including those for regimes like pulsars, black holes, and Homeland Security, Armed Services, supernovae. Intelligence; Energy; Science; Transportation; [3] When people ask “What is Heliophysics?”, the Agriculture; Commerce; and Education. answer should speak to the fundamental Space weather is an appropriate and viable lens understanding of the very nature of through which to frame the relevance of solar interplanetary, interstellar, and intergalactic and space plasma physics and much success has space itself (i.e., plasma: by far the most been made over the last few years in the common state of matter in the universe). It

[3] Cassak, P. A., A. G. Emslie, A. J. Halford, D. N. Baker, H. E. Spence, S. K. Avery, and L. A. Fisk (2017), Space physics and policy for contemporary society, J. Geophys. Res. Space Physics, 122, 4430–4435, doi:10.1002/2017JA024219. Heliophysics 2050 White Papers (2021) 4074.pdf

should encompass, in both name and practice, Our scientific community needs to be bold stellar-planetary and moon-magnetosphere and unabashed in our definition of Heliophysics interactions across the solar system, galaxy, and and its big questions. By 2050, we hope that cosmos. By its very nature, Heliophysics is Heliophysics at NASA will be unbound from its in-situ astrophysics, studying the only star and current confinement to the Sun-Earth line and astrosphere to which we have direct access. expanded to studies of space plasma physics to Heliophysics is and will continue to be many more systems throughout the solar system and exciting things. Today, it’s the amazing greater cosmos. photographs of auroral displays seen from the Empowering Heliophysics Through Advocacy ground and the International Space Station. It’s Such a fundamental redefinition of the discovery of the mysterious “STEVE” Heliophysics and the resulting ambitious (Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Heliophysics program of science missions and Enhancement) emissions in the sky by amateur discovery will require a correspondingly citizen scientists. It’s exploring the intense ambitious budget, coupled with strong support radiation belts around Earth with NASA’s Van within the White House Office of Science and Allen Probes. It’s using large-scale advanced Technology Policy, the Office of Management ground-based solar telescopes, like NSF’s and Budget, and Congress. Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope to probe the Unfortunately, despite the fundamental detailed dynamics of the outer regions of the nature of solar and space plasma physics and Sun. It’s the hypnotizingly complex videos of space weather’s importance to human society the Sun’s boiling plasma surface and corona by and the national interests of the United States, NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory. It’s Heliophysics receives the lowest funding developing advanced computer simulations of amongst the primary Divisions (Planetary the environments in near-Earth space, the Sun, Science, Earth Science, Heliophysics, and interplanetary and interstellar space. And Astrophysics) within the NASA Science it’s launching a spacecraft like NASA’s Parker Mission Directorate and is at constant risk of Solar Probe to touch our Sun. further budget reductions. By 2050, Heliophysics should also be To counteract this recent funding trend and exploring the induced magnetosphere of Venus enable new, innovative, and inspiring solar and to determine how small rocky bodies without space plasma physics missions throughout the internal magnetic fields interact with their host solar system and into local interstellar space, the star. It should be flying into the heart of Heliophysics community needs to be actively Jupiter’s intense radiation belts to understand engaged in advocacy for our field. Armed with the fundamental acceleration processes at play bold ideas and exciting ambitions, inspiring there It should be exploring the complex and stories, impressive visuals, and accessible unusual magnetospheric configurations and language, Heliophysics researchers need to dynamics of the Ice Giants, Uranus and unapologetically promote their fundamental Neptune. It should be comparing and and practical research and the genuinely contrasting other magnetospheres to Earth’s and universal scope of Heliophysics to the public extrapolating to other, more extreme and policymakers. Celebrating research astrophysical magnetospheres. This can be successes is a necessary public service in the achieved either by bold new standalone best interest of the Heliophysics community Heliophysics-dedicated missions to other overall. planets or through greater collaboration with other Divisions.